The New York Islanders needed to secure a future home that goes beyond Charles Wang's tenure as owner.

In 2012 that's exactly what happened. A twenty five year lease starting in 2015 takes us into 2040.

That makes this the most successful year the New York Islanders have had in over a generation.

This problem has gone on since John Tavares was an infant here. You can play for the Stanley Cup in 1991, but if you don't have a future home secured there is no team as Minnesota North Star fans could tell everyone.

The discussion about this problem is finally over.

We can all discuss the upside/downside, true financial gains (if any) made here to make the New York Islanders product sustainable at Barclay's Center as a tenant.

What matters is Wang (hopefully Michael Picker) believe they will have a more sustainable product now, and for future New York Islander owners so that's why this decision was made.

New York Islander tradition continues.

Happy New Year.

Media-wise the New York Islanders will have less/worse professional media than they had in 1972 to rebuild their brand........it's the biggest problem moving forward by a mile.

No pro sports team anywhere will have less.

Msg's latest president, Hank Ratner, can spare us the great relationship comments, and make sure the New York Islanders receive their three hundred plus million to be hidden on their network until 2030 hopefully with a pregame.

NYC taxpayers have been giving Msg hunderds of millions since 1982 in what was supposed to be a ten year deal. That agreement also included low-cost electricity.
*************************************Bridgeport:
The good news is for now, Scott Pellerin, found a way to get his team on track with a lot of injuries. It's been more than a good sampling 5-1-2 to credit the rookie AHL coach.

Will Pellerin likely match the stretch 29th place coach, Brent Thompson, started a year ago at this time? No.

At the moment, Ullstrom, Cizikas have stayed healthy, Ullstrom despite a four point game has not been very productive.

Obviously the headline is Niederreiter, with Persson/Sundstrom/Nelson very impressive.
*************************************NHL:
Most of the summer here was spent going through the motions of putting together the 2012-13 New York Islander roster. There is no point discussing it further at this time.

On 7/29/2005 Snow was resigned by the Isles to a three year extension as an UFA.
************************************** NYIFC Comments:
This entry has nothing to do
with the previous post about the general manager.

I felt it would be
interesting to take a quick look back at how NHL locked out player,
Garth Snow, saw the 2004-05 lockout.

I always remembered this interview because
of his honest, candid comments at the time.

Snow before 2010 was the
only recent former player who had become a general manager since the 04-05
lockout beyond brief co-gm Brett Hull with Dallas who retired in October
2005.

This has nothing to do with players immediately named gm.

Bob Clarke was hired as gm by Ed Snider of the Flyers upon his retirement after 83-84, who was fired by Jay Snider before becoming gm in Minnesota, Florida before returning to Philadelphia as senior vp, then gm, which he held until 2006 when after being fired, he again was named senior vp in Dec 2006.

Ray Shero was a long-time assistant in Ottawa/Nashville before behind hired by Pittsburgh in 2006.
Dave Nonis was gm in Vanvouver from 2004-2008.

Among the current general managers:
Steve Yzerman was named Tampa's gm in 2010, his final NHL season was 2005-06.
Former Islander/new Montreal gm, Marc Bergervin's final NHL season was 2003-04.
*****************************************Fun Story Of The Day:
So in September 2001 Vancouver gm Brian Burke wanted to claim Garth Snow off waivers?

Sorry gang, Snow's 2000-01 stats in Pittsburgh did not scream he had improved. Chris Osgood was claimed off waivers with DiPietro being left in Bridgeport.
******************************************Bridgeport Win/Loss:
Nino Niederreiter scored two goals in first period, took a stick in the face, returned but only took one brief pp shift in second period on Wednesday in Sound Tigers 5-2 win. David Ullstrom has three assist, one ENG.

This was something he made clear was a word he did not like and rarely used back in 2009. There have been several entries here critical of him for this change which began when the 2011-12 season fell apart here.

If Garth Snow does not believe his own past statements, he's not being honest with the public or himself.

That's very disappointing because the outside talent his staff has identified, the excellent contract negotiations with many players re-signing here (Tavares, Okposo, Grabner, MacDonald, Nielsen x 2) speak to his skills that he absolutely is a capable NHL general manager who's had some very poor luck with man games lost to injury with players signed to very astute contracts at the time (Witt, Hunter, Sillinger, Sim, Reasoner, Comrie, Eaton) where most simply broke down.

I asked Snow flat out about front-loaded contracts in one of his past Islander website ask the gm segments. I did not get a real answer or was expecting one.

Charles Wang in his XM 10/25/12 interview referred to front-loaded contracts as " One of those fancy, funny deals with big money up front----signing bonus, " when discussing the straight yearly contract DiPietro signed.

I have absolutely no problem with that stance by Wang if that's his view on front-loading.

Brian Burke refused to do it in Toronto. Montreal would not either and when the time came to sign top free agents the building made no difference. Those franchises (like all others with the same policy IE San Jose) all never landed one top free agent.

Reality here is Garth Snow can discuss free agency all he likes. He can redo the dance in the past about the building being a factor to help Wang get a new/renovated arena in Nassau which is exactly what he should have been doing.

But now we move forward when the day comes when there will be NHL unrestricted free agency again on 7/1. There may be front-loading, or not. If there is front-loading Wang/Snow will have to do it whether the Isles play at the Barclay's Center, Nassau Coliseum or in Montreal if they wish to land a top player.

If not, the building again will not matter.

If front-loading is out of the next CBA it levels the playing field more, but whatever loophole is found to exploit the system as we saw when front-loading really got started with the Drury, Gomez, Briere, Smyth UFA class, this time Garth Snow will have to do the same if he's serious about landing any top free agents.
*********************************
John Spano joined twitter-I asked him on 12/18 if an apology to NYI fans, Mr Pickett for your actions is a respectfully appropriate request to ask of you.

SC Riessersee: Reports Rick DiPietro flew home on Dec 11th. Two American teammates have also returned to the US with only one of the players (not DiPietro) perhaps returning to Germany if there is no end to the NHL lockout.

The article does not definitively state if DiPietro is finished in Germany or could return in the future but the images posted gives the appearance he will not be returning. Other NHL players are returning home for the holidays.

NYIFC Comments:
The NY Post claimed Rick DiPietro told them he is not injured, he has only played one game in Germany. It would seem there are many teams/places in North America where he can work out. Bottom line if he is healthy he is doing nothing in terms of getting into game shape by playing actual games which there is no substitute for.

Of course many New York Islander/NHL players are in the same circumstances which includes Evgeny Nabokov.
*****************************
In terms of goaltending it's been mildly noticeable Kevin Poulin has not started in any of the last five games for Bridgeport. Perhaps Nilsson's illness earlier means things are being evened up, however this is a long time for Poulin to sit on what is obviously a struggling team, despite it's recent win/overtime loss.

Bridgeport's struggles are to a point a stretch like this can define a season.

Former head coach Brent Thompson played Poulin down the stretch, through the first round during last years playofffs while Nilsson was injured in March.
*****************************
Final New York Islander televised game days in calendar year 2012? Twenty two if you count being hidden on +2 televised after games pulled for TWC subscribers.
*****************************
As for the NHL lockout, as written previously there will be no further entries pending an agreement of a new CBA or the cancellation of the NHL season.

This writer has given it's views many times along with the media coverage.

On 9/21 an entry was written here on Jim Devellano's comments, it was the one article you should still be reading now here.

Seven straight losses, one out of fourteen points, all with deHaan out, some without Ty Wishart, now with Travis Hamonic sidelined. (but cleared for workouts)

Aaron Ness, Matt Donovan have been healthy.

Virtually every game stretches of break downs lead to four or five goals allowed.

Niederreiter is an NHL drafted right wing producing as an AHL left wing. Brock Nelson is a center with an NHL depth chart of centers in front of him.

John Persson looks like a player. Mike Halmo needs to produce. Sundstrom has a nice balance of offense and grit.

Ullstrom/Cizikas are again showing durability issues. Kabanov's injury has sidelined him, Jason Clark was sent to the ECHL which is not a bad thing if you want him to play on the top lines somewhere.

Bottom line what was Scott Pellerin's first test, has now become his first crisis as head coach.

The alarming trends costing the team games are a problem. He's repeating the same words often, even the one game they got to a shootout did not stop the bleeding.

Not concerned with Poulin or Nilsson's numbers, they are both more than capapble with back to back AHL goaltenders of month in 2011-12 but what's happening now is mostly beyond goaltending.

As written recently, Brent Thompson's, club was 29th at the end of calendar year 2011, but that was with a very different team.
************************
The good news is Ryan Strome winning player of the month in the OHL, Anders Lee his teams player of the month. Mitchell Theoret, Brenden Kichton, Griffin Reinhart with others.
*************************
What do you want me to write that has not been written before? It's an insult to our fans intelligence when NY Times Ranger salesman/cheerleader Jeff Z Klein travels to interview Cody Rosen, and in a two part feature article does not write once he was invited to the Flyers prospect camp in July 2009, a year before the Isles drafted him with their final pick here.

That means Cody Rosen was not a mystery prospect in NHL circles, does Klein think people are that uninformed?

I guess a feature on one of the top prospects was too much for the Times coverage cap floor or Klein to be bothered with anything but a selective hit job on Snow/management.

Somehow Mr Klein also did not consider Rick DiPietro among the top prospects in 2000 contrary to the many draft reviews at the time projecting he could have been selected first overall. Gaborik between injuries turned down a 10-year, 80 million dollar contract from Minnesota.

Mr Heatley after all his circumstances was kind enough to sign a huge contract with Ottawa, only to demand a trade to be moved again. After refusing Edmonton, San Jose got him and moved him. His 24 goal season on free-falling Minnesota in 2011-12 hardly seems a player you build a winner around.

If Rick DiPietro were the player before his knee surgery, he would be the better player, certainly the more loyal which I guess counts for something.
*************************
Obviously the Dolan's limited Newsday hockey budget does not include any New York Islander updates from Arthur Staple or another reporter in their paper on the team/lockout. Dolan's Ranger salesman at Newsday. Steve Zipay, is covering Dolan's team full time at all NHL/NHLPA meetings.

Updated-An extremely rare Staple slide show paragraph of each prospect on 12/7, see you next month.

The New York Islander media coverage was far superior in 1972, they have no primary media in 2012 which would make them the only US pro sports team in this situation.

No. The teams record is not the reason.
**************************
Bruce Ratner is a minority share holder in the Nets, a majority share holder in Barclay's center. He has no stake in the New York Islanders at this time.

For now just show us blue prints for the Isles state of the art locker rooms/hall of fame.
*****************************
For those scoring at home, expect the Isles to remain at Iceworks if their counterparts training facilities are any indicator despite many articles on Nets moving. .

New York: Syosset Ice-works to Nassau Coliseum 12.8 miles.
New York: Syosset Ice-works to Barclay's Center 30.6 miles.
Cablevision: Greenburgh to Cablevision Garden 27.6 miles.
Devils: West Orange to Newark 8.9 miles.
Comcast Flyers, Vorhees New Jersey to whatever it's called in Philadelphia this year 19 miles.
Pittsburgh is planning a 2014 facility to be opened in Cranberry that would be around 20.5 miles to the slots based arena the Pens call home.
*****************************The Michigan State Senate: Approved 650m in taxpayer money to give Little Ceasar's Red Wings owner, Mike Illitch, a taxpayer funded new hockey arena with real-estate.

NYIFC Comments:
I guess a public referendum was not required, see Quebec, Edmonton, Phoenix.

Sorry, someone has to point out when things are not equal. If Charles Wang were the only NHL owner asking for taxpayer money that would not have been fair. We all now know Wang was the only owner not to receive taxpayer money/exemptions in New York or New Jersey.